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One fifth of houses in Sliema used as a secondary residence

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One in every five houses in Sliema is listed in the census as a “secondary home” which is vacant for most of the year but is not considered to be a holiday dwelling.

This category may include properties which are rented on an irregular basis, properties kept by their owners as a future investment or to be passed on to children on their maturity.

In Ghasri in Gozo, the percentage of secondary homes one every three homes has a secondary use. In all of Gozo, 17% of all dwellings are listed in this category, a rate which is far higher than the national mean of 8%.

The census shows that 17,398 dwellings in Malta have a secondary use for their owners.

This suggests a high level of multiple property ownership and property hoarding. This gives a new twist to the vacant property debate. 

The census puts the total number of dwellings vacant for most of the year amounts to 71,080 an increase of 36% over 2005 figures. 

But while 41,232 dwellings are vacant all year round, 12,450 are listed as holiday home, 17,398 are listed as having a “secondary use”. 

The official statistics contradict a claim made by the Malta Developers Association in October 2013, that half of vacant dwellings are actually holiday homes. 

In fact, holiday homes have only increased from 10,000 in 2005 to 12,450 now. But it substantiates the claim that a large number of these homes are not readily available on the market.

The census also indicates that older historical localities like Valletta, Vittoriosa and Victoria have the largest number of properties which are vacant all year round. 

In Valletta, nearly one in every three dwellings is completely empty.

This could indicate that a large number of these properties are dilapidated.

But the census also substantiates the claim by environmentalists that over development is contributing to the increase in the vacant stock of properties.

In fact, the sharpest percentage increase in vacant properties is registered in relatively new localities like Attard and Swieqi.

In fact, 53% of all vacant dwellings consist of flats and apartments, with half of them being in a good state of repair. 

Moreover, the high number of secondary homes in localities Sliema, St Julian’s, Msida and Gzira may indicate the extent of property hoarding, which is not taxed in Malta. It could also indicate the extent of the black economy in places like Gozo, where properties are rented on a short-term basis.

Holiday homes

The census shows that 52% of all holiday homes are located in the northern region, which includes St Paul’s Bay and Mellieha. 26% are located in Gozo, mostly in Marsalforn.

St Paul’s Bay accounts for 39% of all holiday homes in Malta and Gozo.

The survey also shows that the most likely to own a holiday home are the Gozitans and inhabitants of affluent middle class localities like Attard and Balzan.

While more than one in four households in Victoria own a holiday dwelling, nearly one in five households in Attard do the same.